Talkin ‘Bout Flex: KEN Mode

Since Issue #75, Decibel has brought you left-of-center b-sides, rarities, live recordings and new songs from top-tier metal bands via the outstanding Flexi Series. Want to hear the stories behind these recordings? Read on.

KEN Mode has been tearing shit up for the better part of two decades, but let’s not dwell on their past. Right now, everything’s about moving forward, toward 2018 and a new KEN Mode album on the horizon. And their recent contribution to Decibel‘s Flexi Series, “Fractured in Adults” burns a bassy bonfire, slicing noisily forward with a bent-note throughline. Don’t believe me? Why should you? Listen again here and love it. Also, we checked in with vocalist/instrumentalist Jesse Matthewson about how this song made it to the Flexi Series, so get your read on while you listen.

Albert approached us a few months before because someone had dropped out and Gordon Conrad at Season of Mist US had been telling him about the better than demo quality demos we had just sent him, so he threw some shit against the wall – this was the result! We figured it was an okay reason to keep people paying a little bit of attention to us before the new record next year.

How did you choose to contribute “Fractures in Adults” to the Decibel Flexi Series?

We’d originally slated to use it for a split that won’t be happening anytime soon, and then we decided “Hell, it should be on the record…” It’s just an interesting middle-ground between the last album and where we are taking the new record.

When did you record the song? How much time and work did it take?

We recorded this song on the May long weekend this year with Shawn Dealey over three days at Private Ear Recording in Winnipeg. We tracked and mixed eight songs in three days, and feel it turned out pretty phenomenally. It differed from regular recording sessions because we’ve never actually done studio pre-production before. Usually that pre-prod shtick is just basement demos, so it was pretty cool to get to test out a bunch of new ideas and do some experimenting in an actual studio setting. Really gave us insight as to which ideas worked well and which didn’t, so we’re much better prepared for the actual full length this January.

Do you have any thoughts about the red-on-yellow color choice for the Flexi?

It was perfect. It was loud and obnoxious, just like our last LP and EP.

Have you listened to other songs in the Flexi Series? What is your favorite Flexi so far?

I think I generally listen to the Flexi’s as they come out. One that particularly stands out for me for some reason was the Memoriam one from 2016. I don’t know why it stuck in my craw, but it did. Sick, old school death metal.